Alexis Duncan’s research focuses on risk mechanisms and psychiatric comorbidity of obesity, eating disorders and substance use disorders, particularly among women. Her additional research interests include nosology (the study of diagnostic criteria) of psychiatric disorders, the effects of child maltreatment, and differences in psychopathology by race, gender and sexual orientation.
As a psychiatric epidemiologist with training in behavior genetics, Duncan takes a transdisciplinary approach in her scholarship, recognizing that the traditional disciplinary boundaries often hinder achievement of a comprehensive understanding of disease etiology and, therefore, inhibit the development of effective treatments and interventions. She has collaborated with scientists from diverse disciplines to explore risk factors from human genetics and gut microbes to family and social environment, and often uses data from genetically informative, longitudinal study designs.
Duncan completed a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology and behavior genetics in the Department of Psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Edmond is the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. A nationally recognized expert on violence against women and children, her research tests the effectiveness of trauma focused interventions and the implementation of evidence-based treatments for survivors of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and childhood abuse.
She is a Fellow and Board member of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. She serves as a Steering Committee Member of the Center for Holistic Interdisciplinary Research in Psychedelics, and Lead Facilitator on a psychedelic study for the Healthy Mind Lab in the Department of Psychiatry. She currently serves as the Washington University Faculty Senate Council Chair and has held multiple leadership roles within the Brown School, including Interim Co-Dean, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Associate Dean for Social Work & Social Policy.
Prior to coming into academia, she practiced for 15 years in clinical and administrative roles primarily in domestic violence and rape crisis centers. She is committed to advancing trauma-informed care and innovative mental health treatments.
Amy Eyler studies how policies, along with the built and natural environment, impact chronic disease prevention though behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating. Her work is focused on evidence-based policy solutions to reduce the burden of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
She served as the Deputy Director of The Prevention Research Center in St. Louis for ten years and helped lead the center in managing multiple center projects. Dr. Eyler was the founding leader of the Physical Activity Policy Research Network PAPRN), which was pivotal in advancing an understanding of the impact of policy in this research area.
She is author of 135 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as American Journal of Public Health, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. She is author of three books including Research Methods for Public Health which was published in 2021, with a second edition coming out in 2026.
Dr. Eyler is a leader in the Brown School, throughout the university, and the community. She served as Assistant Dean for Public Health and has had many other leadership roles such as President of the Association for Women Faculty, Chair of Faculty Senate Council, and Faculty Fellow in the Provost’s Office. She is an Executive Board Member and Chair for Girls on the Run St. Louis and volunteers throughout the St. Louis community.
Vanessa Fabbre’s research agenda is driven by several core questions: What are the conditions under which queer and trans people experience wellness in later life? And what does it mean to age well in the context of heteronormativity, transphobia, and other oppressive social forces? Further, what does queer and trans liberation mean in an aging society?
Fabbre’s dissertation research explored gender transitions in later life, focusing specifically on experiences of queer time, failure, and agency in the life course. In collaboration with photographer Jess T. Dugan, Fabbre created To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults (jessdugan.com) which culminated in a book and traveling museum exhibition.
Her current empirical projects pursue these core research questions through interpretive analyses of in-depth biographical interviews with queer, trans, and gender expansive older adults. Fabbre also seeks to develop and promote the practice of queer gerontology for scholar-activists.
Fabbre strives to promote critical and anti-oppressive approaches to social work practice and teaches the following courses at The Brown School: Social Justice and Human Diversity; Direct Social Work Practice with Older Adults; Social, Economic, and Political Environment; and Interpretive Methodology in Social Research.
Throughout his career, Dan Ferris has led and learned from a variety of initiatives in settings ranging from offices of government affairs, community public health organizations, and research institutes. At the Brown School, Ferris applies his experience working with government, community organizations, academics, and other stakeholders to his teaching, research, and continued commitment to policy practice.
As the inaugural assistant dean for policy initiatives at the Brown School, Ferris expanded the Master of Social Policy Dual-Degree program and continues to support student-learning opportunities such as the Graduate Policy Scholars program and Cigna Foundation fellowship in grantmaking. He is also the Co-Director of Policy Education and Practice at the Brown School’s Center for Social Development, where he leads a Data for Social Impact Initiative, a JPMorgan Chase Foundation supported doctoral scholars program, and additional policy teaching and training initiatives. Additionally, he is committed to research, programs, and policies that address disparities and inequities, particularly surrounding food insecurity in St. Louis and beyond, conducting and translating into practice multiple food policy research projects.
Ferris has taught graduate courses in policy analysis, social welfare, legislative advocacy, and health care at New York University, the Touro Graduate School of Social Work, and the Brown School.
Before coming to the Brown School, Ferris received his Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy from New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and his PhD in Public and Social Policy from Saint Louis University.
Marcia Ford’s career has been devoted to improving the quality and accessibility of behavioral health treatment for children and youth. She has local, state, and national expertise in behavioral health policies and services, specifically policies and services reflective of the existing community mental health systems of care. Her organization and leadership expertise include risk management, strategic planning, change management, mentorship, and trauma-informed care.
Prior to joining the Brown School community, Ford held significant clinical and leadership roles with the Missouri Department of Mental Health. During her tenure, she provided direct services to youth and their families as a clinical social worker and held management positions in residential, acute and outpatient settings. As the Chief Operating Officer of Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, her focus on improving patient safety outcomes and quality of treatment led to the facility’s recognition as a Joint Commission Top Performer. Ford also spearheaded Hawthorn’s efforts to become a Sanctuary Certified, trauma-informed treatment organization. As the Children’s Director for the Department of Mental Health, she provided oversight for all children’s behavioral health services funded by the department and strived to enhance collaboration among youth-serving agencies.
Ford is a graduate of the Brown School and is a licensed clinical social worker. She supported students as a field instructor and adjunct faculty member before joining the school full-time. She teaches in the MSW curriculum, and, as director of the Part-Time MSW Program, oversees the implementation and growth of the MSW Part-Time Program.